James John Walker, often known as Jimmy Walker and colloquially as Beau James (June 19, 1881 – November 18, 1946), was Mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. During a corruption scandal he was forced to resign.

Walker was the son of Irish-born William H. Walker (1842–1916), a carpenter and lumberyard owner who was very active in local politics as a Democratic assemblyman and alderman from Greenwich Village, belying certain accounts of Walker's childhood that stated he grew up in poverty. Walker was not the best of students and dropped out of college before eventually graduating from New York Law School in 1904. Walker's father wanted him to become a lawyer and politician. Walker at first decided that he would rather write songs and be involved in the music industry but he eventually entered politics in 1909 and subsequently passed the bar exam in 1912.[1]

After his years in the Senate, Jimmy Walker set his sights on the 1926 election for Mayor of New York. Beginning with the 1925 Democratic Primary for Mayor, Walker knew that to ultimately win the mayoral election he had to defeat John F. Hylan who was the current Mayor of New York. Walker’s reputation as a flamboyant man-about-town made him a hero to many working-class voters; he was often seen at legitimate theaters and illegitimate speakeasies. Walker was a clothes horse – his valet packed 43 suits for his trip to Europe in August 1927.[2] On the other hand, his reputation for tolerating corruption made him suspect to middle-class and moralistic voters. Alfred E. Smith who was then Governor was his mentor.[1] Alfred Smith was a staunch supporter since Walker backed many social and cultural issues that were considered politically important. These included social welfare legislation, legalization of boxing, repeal of blue laws which prohibited Sunday baseball games, condemning the Ku Klux Klan, and especially Smith's and Walker's mutual opposition to Prohibition.[1]

Smith knew the secret to Walker’s winning the election and overcoming his tarnished reputation was for the Governor to guide Walker’s every move. Smith used his base in the strong political machine of Tammany Hall to secure this victory. Finally Walker himself had to be willing to change some of his more unscrupulous ways or in the least, provide a cover for his indiscretions. As with many of the things in Jimmy Walker’s life, he chose the latter. Instead of ending his visits to the speakeasies and his friendships with chorus girls, he took those activities behind the closed doors of a penthouse funded by Tammany Hall.[3] Walker defeated Hylan in the Democratic primary, and, after defeating Republican mayoral candidate Frank D. Waterman in the general election, became Mayor of New York.

In his initial years as mayor, Walker saw the city prosper and many public works projects gain traction. In his first year as Mayor, Walker created the Department of Sanitation, unified New York’s public hospitals, improved many parks and playgrounds, and guided the Board of Transportation to enter into contract for the construction of an expanded subway system (the Independent Subway System or IND). He even managed to maintain the five-cent subway fare despite a threatened strike by the workers.[3]

However, Walker's term was also known for the proliferation of speakeasies during the Prohibition era. It is a noted aspect of his career as Mayor and as a member of the State Senate that Walker was strongly opposed to Prohibition. As mayor, Walker led his administration in challenging the Eighteenth Amendment by replacing the police commissioner with an inexperienced former state banking commissioner. The new police commissioner immediately dissolved the Special Service Squad. Since Walker did not feel that drinking was a crime, he discouraged the police from enforcing Prohibition law or taking an active role unless it was to curb excessive violations or would prove to be newsworthy.[4] His affairs with “chorus girls” were widely known, and he left his wife, Janet, for showgirl Betty Compton.

Walker won re-election by an overwhelming margin in 1929, defeating Republican Fiorello La Guardia and SocialistNorman Thomas. Walker’s fortunes turned downward with the economy after the stock-market crash of 1929. Patrick Joseph Hayes, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, denounced him, implying that the immorality of the mayor, both personal and political in tolerating “girlie magazines” and casinos was a cause of the economic downturn. This was one of the causes which led to Tammany Hall pulling their support for Walker.[5]

Increasing social unrest led to investigations into corruption within his administration, and he was eventually forced to testify before the investigative committee of Judge Samuel Seabury, the Seabury Commission (also known as the Hofstadter Committee). Walker caused his own downfall by accepting large sums of money from businessmen looking for municipal contracts.[5]

One surprise witness in the Seabury investigation was Vivian Gordon. She informed the investigators that women were falsely arrested and accused of prostitution by the New York City Police Department. For this, the police officers were given more money in their paychecks. After her testimony, Vivian Gordon was suspiciously found strangled to death in a park in the Bronx. This event demonstrated to New Yorkers that corruption could lead to terrible consequences and that Walker might ultimately, in some way, be responsible for her death.[6]

With New York City appearing as a symbol of corruption under Mayor Walker, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt knew he had to do something about Walker and his administration. Knowing that the State's constitution could allow an elected mayor to be removed from office, Roosevelt felt compelled to act on this. But if he did this, he risked losing Tammany Hall’s support for the Democratic nomination. On the other hand, if Roosevelt did nothing, or let Walker off easy, the national newspapers would consider him weak.[6]

Facing pressure from Governor Roosevelt, Walker eluded questions about his personal bank accounts, stating instead that the money he received were “beneficences” and not bribes.[1] He delayed any personal appearances until after Roosevelt’s nomination for President of the U.S. was secured. It was at that time that the embattled mayor could fight no longer. Months from his national election, Roosevelt decided that he must remove Walker from office. Walker agreed and resigned on September 1, 1932, and went on a grand tour of Europe with Betty Compton, his Ziegfeld girl.[3] Walker stayed in Europe until the danger of criminal prosecution appeared remote.[5] There, he married Compton.

When Walker was a member of the New York State Senate, he sponsored the “Walker Law” which legalized boxing in New York. He was honored a number of times over the years by the boxing community. Walker is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and was given the Edward J. Neil Trophy in 1945 for his service to the sport.

A romanticized version of Walker's tenure as mayor was presented in the 1957 film Beau James, starring Bob Hope.[8] This was a somewhat accurate depiction of Walker, who during his time as mayor had become a symbol of the jazz age romanticism.[5] The film was based on a biography of Walker, also titled Beau James, written by Gene Fowler. The book was also the basis for Jimmy, a stage musical about Walker that had a brief Broadway run from October 1969 to January 1970. The show starred Frank Gorshin as Walker and Anita Gillette as Betty Compton.[9] There is also a song about Walker in the stage musical Fiorello!, "Gentleman Jimmy".[10]